Subject: FW: Wanted: Trained workers for new fields in wind, solar
energy

Bay City Times Editorial

Wanted: Trained workers for new fields in wind, solar energy
Posted by The Bay City Times
<http://blog.mlive.com/bcopinion/about.html>  August 13, 2008 07:42AM
Wind energy is descending upon the lands and waters of mid-Michigan like
some prairie twister out of nowhere.
We need to shake ourselves from the awe of this prospect, lasso that
cyclone and ride it for all the jobs that it's worth.

Already, we have 32 turbines spinning at Harvest Wind Farm LLC between
Elkton and Pigeon in Huron County. It's Michigan's first wind farm.

Near Ubly, 46 turbines are under construction for the Noble Thumb I Wind
Park. They are expected to spin up and start pumping out power later
this year.

There are plans for a Noble Thumb II Wind Park with 60 turbines in
Sanilac County.
A Traverse City wind developer has even proposed Michigan's first
offshore wind farm for Saginaw Bay.
Set aside the all-too-familiar misery of pining for good-paying, and now
lost, automaking jobs for a minute, and consider:

Who's going to run those turbines? Who'll maintain them, and fix them
when they break?
If we can get them the proper training, the people of mid-Michigan can.
Delta College can make the difference.
The community college co-owned by the people of Bay, Midland and Saginaw
counties is renowned in our area and known nationwide for producing
graduates in any number of career and technical programs.

Wind energy maintenance should become one of them.
Community colleges in other states are jumping at the same opportunity
to crank out workers who are qualified to maintain and fix wind-energy
turbines. The students at one of the first such programs, at Iowa Lakes
Community College in Iowa, are snapped up by wind energy companies even
before they get their degrees.

Granted, wind energy work may not be for everyone. The turbines at
Harvest Wind Farm, for example, are 250 feet high - way up there in the
air.

But for with a head that can handle that kind of altitude, there's
plenty of work. Companies are screaming for trained wind workers.

With wind just entering Michigan's energy portfolio, Delta could become
the first school in the state to train those who can make it happen, and
keep it happening.

A little peek into mid-Michigan's future, in fact, might reveal a future
need for solar energy workers, too. Solar energy companies either have
announced plans to build in the tri-county area or have said they are
looking for opportunities in Michigan, to be near the mother lode of raw
material for their products - Hemlock Semiconductor Corp.

Through the decades, Delta College has responded well to the needs of
our families, our workers and our companies.
It's time for our local community college to tie itself to the newest
industries that are blowing into town.
Train our workers now for the new kinds of jobs that are being created
now.
Jump on that alternative energy whirlwind, Delta College.
Show us how to harness that power.
And get some of those jobs.